Well casing



W. W. FRY

Aug. 21, 192s.

WELL CAS ING Filed DBC. 10, 1924 4; aaa

Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. FRY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ABSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO ROBIN'- SON PACXER COMPANY, 0F TULSA, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION OF OKLAHOMA.

WELL CASIN G.

Y Application mea December 10,1924. serial No. 754,991.

'lhis invention relates to a method of casused for casing oil wells, the object being to provide a method by means of which the well can be cased by one connected string of different sized casings so connected together that they can be readily placed in position within the well" and removed therefrom so that in case of a dry hole, the lower or smaller string can be first removed and they next succeeding strings of casings of different sizes removed. i' 2 Another and further object of my invention is to provide a method for casing wells, wherein the water and gas are shut olf from between the different sized casings, by packe'rs arranged between one set of casings and the next succeeding casing on the inside, thereby enabling the operator to cutoff the water and gas, without the use of what is known as an outside packer, shoe, or other device, the setting of which has to depend upon the earth formation.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a method of casing wells which is considerably cheaper than the prior methods now in use as the various strings of casings running from the top of the hole down are eliminated and one connected string is employed.

Another and further obje/ct of the invention is to provide a method of casing wells which allows the casings to be handled by a lighter drilling machine as the casing can be formed lighter and it is not necessary to support the enormous weight as is now the case where the strings extend from the surface downwardly.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a casing in position within the well showing the method of casing a well in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a well cased by the ordinary method now in use;

Figure 3 is a detail section showing a packer arranged between the ends of the connected sections and a fishing tool for removing the sections.

In carrying out my method I have illustrated a well having a depth of 4000 feet cased with a series of strings of various lengths and sizes comprising an upper string 1000 feet of 8% inch pipe and a fth string of 1000 feet-of /8 inch pipe, these strings being lowered into the lhole as the well is drilled, the upper ends being connected together by a specially constructed packer.

These packers are provided with heads which are adapted to be engaged by a fishing too In the drawing I have shown a well having a depth of 4000 feet cased by sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, one string telescoping within the other string and having packers 6 arranged as clearly shown so as to completely cut 01T the water and gas.

To encase a well having a depth of 4000 feet under my improved method approximately 4000 feet of piping is used, while with the general method now in use of casing a well as shown in Figure 2, approximately 10,500 feet of iping is used, as each string extends from` t e surface downwardly, while with my im roved method I employ a series of connecte strings.

This enables a well to be cased very much cheaper than with the method now in use, and

of casing, and as one continuous connected string is used in my method, a well drilling apparatus of lighter construction can be used to place, move, and replace the casing in position, as drilling of the well, and to remove the same, the packing feature enabling the sections to be placed one within another, at any desired point, changed, or held in that position, without the use of outside packers, shoes, or other deilflices againstithe earth formationv of the we A fishing tool 7 is employed in setting, changing location of and removing the strings and is adapted to be tripped by allowing t e same to engage the bottom ofthe hole and when raised engages the head of the packer in such a manner that a specially constructed packer forms a support for the string so the strings from the bottom upwardly can be the operator shall determine in the removed one at a time in case it is desired to screwed one joint at a time together until the five hundred feet level has been reached and the next string of easing can be set in all at one time as the drilling continues and so on down until the bottom of the well is reached, the strings being connected by the improved construction of packer so that the water and gas is kept out of the well from the next outside string as the well is drilled from the inside by the packer arranged between the sec tions, thereby overcoming the dilliculties now existing of having to pack the well against the earth formation to accomplish that end.

lVhile in the drawing I have shown a casing composed of a plurality of telcscoping sections of various sizes, itis, of course, understood that by having specially constructed packers, any string can be eliminated as for example, the 81A inch string could be eliminated and the lower string of /8 inch pipe be formed 2000 feet in length instead of 1000 feet.

My improved method of casing wells does not interfere with the use of outside packers, shoes or other devices, if desired so as to pack the casing at any desired point against the wall of the well to hold back pressures on the lower strings, etc., but enables a well to be drilled so that it is under the control of the operator at all times as the strings can be set one within the other at any desired point and the water and gas completely shut off by an inside packer arranged between the telescoping strings.

The method of now casing wells is clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing and it will be noted that each string extends from the surface downwardly, thereby necessitating the use of approximately 6000 more feet of pipe to case the well than with the method as clearly defined in this invention and as the smaller string extends from the surface to the bottom of the hole, it necessitates the use of a heavy drilling machine.

By casing the welly under my improved method, the well can be drilled to a greater depth with a light drilling machine and it is only necessary to handle a 1000 feet of casing at one time and it is, of course, understood that if desired, these strings can be shortened or lengthened.

The drill well encased under my improved method not only has the above advantages, but many others, especially the advantage of overcoming the great pressure when a 55 gusher is struck 1n drilling the well as with my improved method this pressure only has to pass through a short string of a certain size piping before it is relieved by reaching a larger string and as the pressure continues upwardly, it is gradually relieved while with the old method the inside casing extends from the bottom of thc hole to thevtop and the pressure cannot be relieved until it reaches the lop.

From the foregoing description it will he seen that I have provided a method of casing a drill well in which the casing of the well is under the control of the operator at all times rather than under the control of the earth formation as is the case in drill wells of this nature as now carried out, as the water and gas are shut off by packing between one set of casing and the adjacent set.

lVhile in the drawmg and specification I have only shown and described broadly a easing for a drill well, it is, of Course, understood that the strings of casings will have to be connected together by a packer of particular construction in order to allow the casing to be lowered and set at any desired position and to facilitate the changing and removing ofthe strings of casings by a finishing tool.

It is, of course, also understood that the usual piping for drawing the oil from the well drilled is used in connection with the casing.

Of course, I am aware that the casing constituting the different strings can be formed of sections either welded together or coupled together by the usual coupling sleeves now in use and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the particular manner of connecting these sections together to form the strings.

What I claim is A casing for wells composed of a series of telescopic strings extending from the top to the bottom thereof having packers arranged between the concentric walls of the overlappin strings at their upper ends for detaehabliy connecting said sections together, said packers having head portions extending inwardly beyond the inner walls of the overlapping strings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM W. FRY. 

